Love’s Sweet Revenge(39)

Jake drew on his cigarette and looked at Lloyd. “Am I that famous?” he tried to joke.

Lloyd shrugged. “Apparently so.” He turned to the others. “Is he famous, boys?”

Most of them grinned.

“I’d say his wife is the famous one, for that great homemade bread she makes us,” Pepper joked before spitting tobacco juice into the fire. It made a hissing sound against a hot coal. Jake and the others laughed at the remark.

Kraemer shook his head. “Just a warning, Jake. I think a lot of you, so stay out of trouble. I know about Mike Holt being on the loose. And word is he was seen in Guthrie.”

Evie stiffened at the words. Brian tightened his arm around her. Jake and Lloyd came alert.

“When?” Lloyd asked.

“A month or so, I guess. They practically tarred and feathered him before booting him out, the way I hear it. I came out here to warn you that he mentioned heading west before he left town, so that could mean he’s wanting to keep his promise about killing Lloyd. I figured that was reason enough to come out here…but that prosecutor did tell me to let you know he’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

Jake drew deeply on his cigarette and took it from his lips. “Marshal, I haven’t done a damn thing wrong. And if I want to take my wife to Denver to show her a beautiful time and treat her like the elegant lady she is, I’ll do it. And I’ll be going there to sell my cattle, so you tell that prosecutor he can keep his nose out of my business, and I’ll be sure to stay on the side of the law while I’m there. I’ve worn a badge, and I know the rules.”

Kraemer nodded. “Jake, I hold you in high regard, but I have a job to do, so I really hope I’ll never have reason to come after you. That’s not something I would relish doing at all.” He backed his horse. “These extra men are a fraction of what I’d bring along against the likes of Jake Harkner. Actually, we’re headed for Loveland. There’s a wanted man holed up there somewhere, or so I’m told. I just figured I’d do what that prosecutor asked and stop by to give you a warning.”

“You’ve done your job, so move on,” Lloyd answered. “As you can see, we’re in the middle of branding, and we have to get back to work.”

“I understand.” Kraemer rode his horse closer to Lloyd. “They say that Holt is after you because you shot his brother in the back after the man had given himself up. That true?”

Jake glanced at Lloyd with a warning look in his eyes.

“Yes,” Lloyd answered without a flinch, “but he wasn’t standing there giving himself up. He turned and ran. I was the law, and it was within my rights to shoot him, so I damn well did.”

“Well, your friends from Guthrie who were with you that day at Dune Hollow swear the same thing, so it’s the word of several good men against Mike Holt.” Kraemer leaned closer. “But I have a real distinct feeling they’re all just trying to protect you, young man, so you keep in mind that even as a marshal back then, you could have gone to prison for shooting a man in the back.”

Katie drew in her breath, holding Randy’s hand so tight it almost hurt.

“All I know is what those men did to my sister,” Lloyd grumbled. “You think about that…if it was your wife or your sister or your daughter, Kraemer. Would you give a damn?”

Kraemer sighed, backing his horse again. “No, I wouldn’t, Lloyd. I just want you to be careful if you come up against Mike Holt. Do you understand me?”

“I understand just fine.”

Kraemer turned to Jake and reached down, putting out his hand.

Jake shook it. “Good luck finding your man,” he told Kraemer. “I’m just glad I’m not the one you were after.”

“So am I, Jake, so am I—because that would mean I’d probably come out on the losing end.” He glanced at Randy and the others, then back to Jake. “Take care of that beautiful family of yours.”

“I’m trying to do just that.”

Kraemer tipped his hat to the women and rode off, his men following behind.

Jake turned to his men. “I’m damn grateful, boys.”

“Hell, Jake, we couldn’t let that sonofabitch try to pin you with something,” Cole told him. “You might have gone off to prison, and we’d lose our jobs. With all the consolidatin’ goin’ on around here and ranchers sellin’ out to corporations, jobs for men like us are gettin’ fewer every year.”

“Yeah, we didn’t do it for you,” Pepper spoke up. “We did it for our own selves…and maybe for the wife. If the law took you away, your wife might leave, too, and we’d lose out on that homemade bread.”